1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to waterbeds of the type having a water-containing mattress for buoyantly supporting a person in a prone position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional waterbeds have been used in treating orthopedic and burn patients, stroke victims, the elderly and persons confined to bed for long periods of time. Such beds are useful in preventing bed sores. While waterbeds have been used for the treatments mentioned above, the treatment of muscular and circulatory ailments has been accomplished with whirlpool or circulating baths. Some of these require that the patient be lowered into the bath water in a chair carried by a hoist, which allows the torso of an infirmed patient to be safely immersed while providing a means for firmly supporting the patient and lifting the patient out of the water, when necessary.
Several prior devices have used relatively small water-filled pads for treating localized areas of the body. In such arrangements the person does not receive the benefits of buoyant support, coverage of the body is incomplete, the water piping apparently carries a small volume at a relatively high pressure and there is considerably more mechanical equipment required for obtaining the relatively isolated effects on the body torso.
There is also known in the wider field of water massage a wide variety of baths. Baths are without a doubt beneficial to mankind, but for use in therapy there is a disadvantageous effect on the skin tissue after a certain amount of time. Another disadvantage is that baths require an amount of pre-bath and post-bath activity, such as drawing the water, undressing, dressing and so forth. At health club facilities where bath water is treated with chemicals it must nevertheless be changed and retreated with such chemicals frequently.